Rectifying a bad impression on the neighbours

I would go over and ask her to show you where he messed so that you can clean it up. Bump the electric fence they don't work. Buy a tie out stake and a plastic coated cable and use that to tie him out to do his business..otherwise you will have to use a leash to walk him. ALL dogs not on a leash will go to a neighbor's yard to do their business. They won't go in their own yard because they don't want to dirty their territory.

Be neighborly and don't let your dog out without tieing him up or using a leash.

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In most cities if you clean up the poop quickly, its as if (by the law) that nothing had occurred. My neighbor has a saint Bernard, a saint Bernard wrinkly skin mix, an English bulldog, and a pug who she lets out first thing in the morning - and their poops range from larger then a bull's to child sized. I know they poop in my yard, I also know they are good dogs and my neighbor is a good neighbor as she faithfully follows them with her trusty shovel. Sure when the largest squats to pee she might as well be an elephant, but her owner cleans up after her and that makes all the difference.
Your neighbor will be more forgiving as she realizes how earnest you are in cleaning up the issue and that Jordi is a good and friendly dog. If she doesn't, there's something wrong with her.

As for an invisible fence, they work very well. Our neighbor who had a golden retriever was able to let that outdoors minding dog in the yard at all times and he was careful to stay in the yard. It didn't stop him from barking though, and it was disconcerting at first since he looked loose to us when walking our dogs.

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I have had 3 dogs with electric fence and it worked great for them. You really have to follow the training though. Tying up dogs outside for short periods of time is ok, but being left on a lead for too long can lead to territory aggression with some dogs. At least that's what my vet told me.

I think a card with an apology would be an appropriate gesture.

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I think that a box of chocolates is the WRONG choice of gift when dealing with a "poop" incident. Maybe I'm just really, really immature, but the last thing I want when I'm thinking about poop is a nice, little caramel nugget!! Maybe a nice potted plant and a card.

On second thought, why are you trying to make nice with this woman if she is so un-forgivable? Has she even welcomed you to the neighborhood yet? Has she made any effort to be friendly? I say don’t bother with her and stay on your side of the property. Fences make great neighbors!

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I'd make a chocolate sheet cake with green coconut sprinkled over chocolate icing (it's easy to dye shredded coconut, just put it in a ziplock bag with a couple of drops of food coloring and shake until you like the color). Then I'd take two Snickers bars stack them crosswise, and melt them in the microwave for a bit on some waxed paper. Then I'd invert the melty Snickers bars over the top of the cake. Then I'd write, "Sorry about the crap!" in blue icing below the Snickers bars, and I would take it to the neighbor. When she looked horrified, I'd run my finger over one of the candy bars and look her right in the eye as I licked it off.

But that's just me. ;)

http://prettybabies.blogspot.com

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Amy, "you are too twisted for color tv"!

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She probably asked if you worked full time so that if your dog was in her yard, she'd know if you were likely to be home or not.

As someone who does't really like dogs, I wouldn't want the chocolates or card, I'd just want you to keep your dog out of my yard.

As for cleaning up after dogs in my yard, I like to walk in my yard barefoot and I wouldn't want to come across any residue of pee or poop on my grass, even after a cleanup. But that's also why we have a fence.

My suggestion would be to say "I am so sorry about my dog being in your yard. A fence will be built on x date."

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Two things -

1) Amy - I love you. :)

2) I'm overly paranoid about kidnappers, so I'm more concerned with a window being left open overnight!

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She should be glad she doesn't live in our neighborhood. We're a "fence-free" subdivision, and electric fences are a piece of crap (or, electric fences are an expensive piece of crap if you don't maintain the dog's training--they work well for a few months after the initial training and then not).

The neighborhood dogs poop in our yard, the coyotes poop in our yard, the geese poop in our yard. The only one that doesn't generally poop in our yard is OUR dog--because he likes to poop by the pond and we're always on the other end of the lease with a plastic bag, cleaning up after him.

Even if we eliminated the dogs, it wouldn't eliminate the poop problem.

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I personally think the electric fences are inhumane. Would you like to have an electric shock every time you followed your instincts?

Close the windows, clean up after Jordi, and get a regular fence put in.

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I think I'd go with the option of making sure that the windows are shut at night so that Jordi can't get out and let bygones be bygones with the somewhat-agitated neighbor lady. If it happens again, I'd consider the note of apology, but you've already apologized in person for the past.

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I am with Clarissa on the tie-out. We've had a dog for 7 yrs in a yard with no fence. He stays on his "chain" when he's out to do his business. I had a similar problem with MY neighbor's dog. She complained that she didn't have a fence, wah wah wah. I told her that neither did I never had problems with him getting away. She ended up installing a fence and her dog STILL gets out. Not mine!

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I don't let my dog poop in another's yard knowingly. SHe likes to run when not on a leash or tie-out. I do have problems with our nieghbors' dog pooping in our yard and leaving the nice brown spots in the grass that we worked really hard on. I agree with another poster, use a tie-out when the dog has to go out. I would also add to crate the dog at night if you are having problems with him leaving.

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